Nashville Predators: Long-Term Issues Facing The Predators
By Steve Cook
Pekka Rinne’s Future
Sometimes when reading articles or tweets about future Nashville Predators moves, I’ll see people talking about how the Predators will have more money once Pekka Rinne’s contract is off the books. This statement assumes a couple of things that I have some trouble wrapping my head around.
For one thing, we’re talking about the Vezina Trophy winner from last season. I wouldn’t be in a rush to get that off of my books, even if it’s one of the highest salaries in the NHL. You can’t argue that Pekka Rinne hasn’t earned his keep. More often than not, he’s been the Predators’ best player during a given season. Unless his postseason performance is a sign of his overall play falling off immediately after one of his best seasons instead of a sign of fatigue, it’s tough to see that trend changing.
It also assumes that Predators management would want to see Rinne leave. I’m not so sure about that. The negative reaction letting him walk would get from the fanbase, plus the team missing his high level of play, makes that decision risky business. I’d be surprised if Rinne wasn’t still a Nashville Predator after this season. Of course, that could make some other decisions more difficult.